Has Putin Killed Off Representative Democracy?

Russia seems to be headed for permanent, one-party rule. It's sort of like the old Soviet days except with capitalism for the privileged. Gee, all Putin would need to do is declare himself Czar and we'd be back to the days of the Romanovs.

Marsha Whitman writes in the Washington Post that Putin is introducing another gaggle of election-killing rules, all with a simple nod of a complacent and grateful legislature.

"Meanwhile, the Kremlin has managed to obstruct the financing of unwelcome political projects. Russian businessmen, while afraid to sponsor autonomous political activity, have given generously to pro-Kremlin political groups, movements and initiatives. With the best and biggest companies increasingly coming under the Kremlin's control, pro-Kremlin political forces are assured of virtually unlimited budgets. In addition, political loyalists can draw on what's called the "administrative resource" -- a network of administrators at various levels who are eager to do the regime's bidding.

"In such a political environment, election results are preordained. There is a flatness about campaigns -- a lack of enthusiasm and emotion. Which is the way the Kremlin likes it.

"One of the innovations of the new election bill is a ban on creating a 'negative image' of political opponents. This is one way of depriving a campaign of any meaning whatsoever, as just challenging the policies of the incumbent authorities can now be interpreted as a violation of the law."

It has been some time since Russia abolished gubernatorial elections. Governors are now appointed. More recently mayoralty runoffs have also been abolished. Only makes sense, eh? Why trouble the voters with trivialities when they can use their energies to stay away from meaningless parliamentary and presidential polls.

Oh yeah, since they're so utterly discouraging the political process, might as well do away with the old-fashioned laws requiring a minimum turnout at the polls.

"The political scene has been fully cleared of genuine competition, and the executive and legislative branches filled with loyalists who need not worry about public accountability. As a result, the members of this greedy bureaucracy have become a privileged circle in which they seek to amass power, which in Russia is closely linked to property and wealth. In the process, they force those with less clout to sell their lucrative properties, as happened not long ago with a Urals titanium factory. If the owner doesn't accept the deal, he can expect the tax police to "discover" huge instances of evasion, the environmental agency to reveal improper use of his lands or the prosecutor's office to begin proceedings against him. All these government agencies would be working on behalf of the powerful buyer. This is hardly law and order."

Gee, you know what that country needs? A revolution!